Nick Saban, Will Muschamp recall LSU's 'Bluegrass Miracle' (video)

LSU receiver Devery Henderson heads for the end zone with the game-winning touchdown in a 33-30 win over Kentucky in 2002, a play known as the Bluegrass Miracle. (Associated Press)

Ten years ago Friday, Devery Henderson caught a tipped 74-yard pass from Marcus Randall with no time on the clock for one of the most improbable victories in LSU football history, a 33-30 win over Kentucky that would from then on be hailed as the Bluegrass Miracle.

As the anniversary of the game nears, Alabama coach Nick Saban -- who was LSU's head coach on that day -- was asked Wednesday what he still recalls about the remarkable play.

"I remember it all," Saban said. "I remember that we played poorly that day and Kentucky had a decent team. We didn't have a very good week going into the game. I remember there was a big wind and we sort played to get the wind in the fourth quarter. I remember that we completed a pass before that so we had a chance for it and the wind carried the ball about 70 yards in the air. Their guys misjudged the ball and tipped it up and Devery did a great job of running through it and scoring.

"I think we practice those kinds of plays. I think there's a little bit of luck when you hit one. Things have to go right for you and the ball has to bounce your way and it did that day."

Saban unsurprisingly also remembers how the Tigers responded the next week. They got shut out 31-0 by Alabama.

"We didn't play very well that day and we won," he said of the Kentucky game, "and we played really, really bad the next week and got beat as bad as we ever got beat. So that wasn't a good thing. But that was an exciting play and it was fun to be a part of a play like that, that people remember this long."

Florida coach Will Muschamp, LSU's defensive coordinator under Saban in 2002, says he brings up the game a lot with Gators offensive coordinator Brent Pease, who held that same position at Kentucky 10 years ago. But like Saban, he said the first thing he remembers about the game is how poorly his defense played.

"We stunk on defense that day. We couldn't tackle (Kentucky quarterback Jared) Lorenzen," Muschamp said. "The ball went up and you hardly ever see those plays hit. I was just walking thinking of different things we could have done game plan-wise and call-wise and didn't call a very good game. I got to the bottom of the numbers and I realize all these players are running by me and I'm thinking, 'What in the world could our players be happy about right now?' And I realized that Devery had made the catch.